The Best Memories
by WishingDreamer5
Summary: He was a free spirit. She was as chained as one could be, figuratively speaking. So it was no wonder that this curious little bird became interested in the unpredictably dangerous teen. Perhaps they were even fated to be together. But Kairi knew that beneath that cold exterior was a warm heart. And she was determined to prove that to the world... -Wishing-Fire's Memories Challenge.
1. Curiosity

**A/N: Whoa, my third update today. I guess I'm on a roll! XD Anyways, this is my take on Wishing-Fire's Memory Challenge. I can only use one couple and the word count should be between 150 and 600 (but it'll always be the latter, 'cause I'm such a chatter box lol). It's also my second entry at the 'Freedom' Contest over on dA. What's also important, is the fact that this can be seen as a side story/prequel to my AquaxTerraxKairixVanitas story 'Amnesia Completa.' I'm sorry if I spoiled something for you now by revealing too much. :( I'll try to update weekly, with a little bit of luck maybe even daily (but let's not get our hopes up on that). Hope you guys enjoy! :)**

**Thanks: M. L. Ayala, my lovely beta reader.**

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**1. Curiosity**

He was a free spirit; he did what he wanted to, when and exactly how he wanted it to.

He was free to go wherever he'd like with the least care in the world of what others thought of him. Free of being judged. It added a certain charm to him, made him look extra dangerous, adventurous even. It made her wish that she was just like him.

She, on the other hand, was practically chained to the ground with all the complicated rules she had to adhere to because of her overly strict parents. Well, they weren't even her real parents, but the mayor had told Kairi that he was too scared to lose her, which resulted in him making all these petty rules.

Freedom? That word didn't exist for them. They wanted to have security above everything else and if that meant that their adopted daughter couldn't be free like a bird, then so be it. By now, Kairi was used to it all. She had given up complaining a long time ago, knowing that it was of no use.

So needless to say, Vanitas piqued Kairi's curiosity _immensely_. She was attracted to the mysterious, dark-haired bad boy like a moth was attracted to a flame. He was different from all the other guys, different from Sora, his own brother too. She didn't have the words to describe it. Selphie, her best friend, had called her crazy for even trying to talk to him, but Kairi really couldn't help it!

They were currently sitting at a small table together in the middle of the auditorium, with Kairi trying to study, while Vanitas was slumped back in his seat, seeming bored out of his mind, as usual. It hadn't taken Kairi that long to notice that Vanitas was a very intelligent teen.

Kairi sighed wearily and shoved her maths book away from her as though the sight alone was making her extremely nauseous. In a way, that was exactly what maths made her feel like.

"I don't get it at all. Logarithm sucks! I'll never get the hang of this..."

Vanitas ignored her completely (as usual). He took a piece of paper out of his backpack and started scribbling down on it.

"What are you writing?" she asked curiously.

"Porn," he replied solemnly, without even looking at her.

Kairi's eyes widened incredulously. "…_Really_?"

The way he rolled his eyes didn't go unnoticed by her. "No, I'm not a good writer."

"Oh. Okay…"

She honestly didn't know what to say to that. Apparently, he had no problem with writing porn in public, but it was his lack of writing skills that bothered him.

"_What_," he said sharply when he caught her violet eyes on him.

"Nothing," came the automatic reply, because if there was one thing she had learned from spending time with Vanitas, it was that he didn't like her curiosity. _At all_.

Still, that didn't stop her from wanting to know more about him.

When he was done with writing, he slid the piece of paper over to Kairi. "Here."

"Oh, I don't think-" Kairi started, because quite honestly, she didn't want to find out about his writing skills (or what he'd written down).

"Read it."

With that, he got up and left her alone at the table. Kairi sighed and glanced at the piece of paper in her hand. Almost at once, her eyebrows shot up; he had written down a short explanation on logarithm.

And then he wondered why she was so curious all the time. How could she not be when he was so unpredictable?


	2. Friendship

**A/N: I'm glad to hear that not everyone thinks I've made a grave mistake by writing about this crack-pairing lol.**

**Thanks: MaroonAngel of Darkness, krikanalo, and It's My Lucky Charm. :)**

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**2. Friendship**

Kairi bit her bottom lip, throwing the handsome young man next to her a sidelong glance. His golden eyes were fixed on the pink bowl, while his hand worked furiously to mix the contents of the bowl well together. That permanent glare on his face almost made her think as though he wanted to set the bowl on fire, or something.

She was surprised that he hadn't threatened her to keep quiet about their attempts at baking a cake. It was so extremely out of character for him, after all. But perhaps that was why he had chosen for this time to do it, at his own place; his parents weren't there. Or maybe the redhead really was looking too far into things (but with someone like Vanitas, one could never be too sure).

Admittedly, Vanitas sometimes made her wonder if he wanted to murder her or not. Still, slowly but gradually, the two seemed to get closer…as much as was possible, that is. It showed in the little things; they started doing stuff together more often. Sometimes, they would even borrow things from each other.

Yes, the guy was still icy cold as hell (talk about oxymorons), but he also allowed himself to show his more gentle side. Kairi had never thought that he had one, but Vanitas never ceased to amaze her. However, these random acts of kindness were always questionable and she wasn't sure if he did it because he wanted something from her, or because they were genuine (but Kairi was always hoping for the latter).

"The fuck _is _this? Seriously!" Vanitas exclaimed in frustration, as he threw the mixer whisk back in the bowl with an angry growl.

Kairi started to laugh at the look on his face, but stopped when she caught that look he shot her. "Here, let me," she suggested, taking the mixer whisk from him.

"Suit yourself," he muttered, watching with crossed arms as Kairi's deft hands mixed the whipped cream with the eggs and cake mix.

He tried not to show it, but he was rather impressed with how quick the whipped cream got blended in with the rest of the…stuff in the bowl. This was definitely not her first time baking cake, that much was obvious. But _he_ would never cook again…without guidance of Kairi, that is. He just didn't have the patience for it...or the talent, because let's face it; he'd probably burn down the whole kitchen if he tried this by himself.

"Remind me again why I let you talk me into this?" he said as he already felt a migraine come up.

The redhead smiled, but didn't answer. "There you go. Now you can pour it into the tin."

"…If you say so."

A few minutes later, when the tin was put in the oven and the two were sitting at the dinner table again, waiting for the cake to be ready so that they could decorate it, Kairi started, "Thanks for paying my drink the other day…even if it was only a one-off gesture."

Vanitas waved it away like it was nothing. "Don't mention it." It was quiet for a moment, but then he took a deep breath and said, "And you thanks for helping me get a present for my mom's birthday..."

Which he had completely forgotten about, just like last year. Thank god Kairi was there to help him this year.

Although Vanitas was sure that his mom didn't want to have food made by him, Kairi had still persisted. Now there was only hoping that he hadn't done all this for nothing.

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**A/N: For everyone who hasn't read it yet, the whole thing with Vanitas paying for Kairi's drink is a nod to another one-shot of mine written for Valentine's Day, called "Speaking Through Flowers." Obviously, Vanitas was in a much better mood in that story. :P**


	3. Pity

**A/N: I have double feelings about this chapter. Just...something is off. But I hope you guys will still like it.**

**Thanks: MaroonAngel of Darkness, krikanalo, Raberba girl, Witch of Tragedies, and Yue Asuka. :)**

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**3. Pity**

"Never?"

"Never," Kairi repeated solemnly.

At this point, Vanitas's brows had nearly disappeared into his hairline. It was silent between them for a good moment, before Vanitas broke it by asking, "So let me get this straight: you've never broken any of these stupid rules that your parents made for you?"

Kairi thought about it again, then slowly shook her head, not sure why he was making such a fuss over it. "No, as far as I can remember not. Why do you ask, Van?"

Vanitas shook his head in mock-disappointment. "I pity you, I truly do."

For some reason, the redhead didn't like that statement.

She gave him a defiant look, her brows furrowing. "And what exactly is wrong with being smart enough to not break any rules and stay out of trouble? At least I won't be the one ending up with a black nose and broken eye."

"Actually-" Vanitas started, before being interrupted again.

"I know what I said!" she exclaimed, her violet eyes narrowing in anger.

"Nothing. I mean, you only miss out on a lot of things. It's no big deal," Vanitas replied with a smirk. "You never get to feel that rush of excitement and adrenalin before your safety is assured."

His friend didn't say anything, hating the fact that he was right; she was probably missing out on a lot of things. So what? At least this way she was sure that her parents would never be unfortunate enough to see her dead body because a drunk night out had gone horribly wrong.

Despite all that, there was still that nagging feeling inside her, making her wonder what it would be like to live her life like the young man next to her did…

"You're blushing," he noted teasingly.

"Am not," she said automatically, even though she could feel her cheeks grow warmer the moment she uttered those words.

Really, she hated the way Vanitas could leave her all flustered and embarrassed over something so small.

"Don't tell me you want to try it out for yourself now."

Kairi crossed her arms with an indignant huff and looked away from him. "No…"

"Liar."

"Shut up!"

Kairi didn't know how it happened, but barely an hour had passed when she found herself running alongside her raven-haired friend, scared that the guards would see them. Suddenly, he took her hand and pulled her with him to the opposite direction behind a wall.

"I am _so_ not going to forgive you if we get caught," she hissed. "I can't believe I actually agreed to thi-"

"Would you just relax? We're not going to get caught."

Why she had even agreed to break into Ansem the Wise's labs would always remain a mystery for her. Her whole body was shaking and her legs felt like jelly. How could anyone find this feel so good that they wanted to keep doing it?

"You wait here, I'm gonna go get the lab coats," Vanitas then whispered.

He looked around, checking if the coast was clear, before stealthily going to the coat racks. All this time, Kairi was unconsciously holding her breath, hoping to God that nobody would choose to enter the hallway. Because if anybody saw them right now…she'd be dead.

Oh, she could only imagine how furious and disappointed her parents would be with her. They would probably guard her 24/7 if they found out and quite honestly, Kairi couldn't even blame them…

"I'm gonna kill that guy," she muttered under her breath.

All she could do now, however, was wait…and pray that they stayed out of trouble.


	4. Lust

**A/N: From now on, I'll try to update every day, so that I can finish this and focus on real life issues. XD**

**Thanks: Cafe. nina, MaroonAngel of Darkness, Witch of Tragedies, AquaticSilver, and Yue Asuka. :)**

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**4. Lust**

"Wait... The hell am I even doing?"

That question went unanswered, because quite honestly, even he didn't know what had gotten into him.

Well…more like _who_ had gotten into him.

Vanitas grimaced. At this point, he didn't even care anymore that anyone else might see him as a stalker. Well, he hadn't cared from the beginning, but it was a figure of speech.

It was just…every time he saw the pretty redhead, or every time someone would even do as much as mention her name, something inside him twisted strangely and he started having all these weird thoughts and emotions and sensations that in this case, he'd much rather ignore. Too bad it was impossible.

"That damned girl doesn't know what she's doing," Vanitas muttered darkly.

_…to me_, he finished in his head.

The truth was that Vanitas had known from the very beginning that it was a bad idea to go to the beach with Kairi and their group of friends. But since he was the biggest idiot living on this planet, he had ignored his instinct, thinking nothing of it. Heck, if he was honest with himself, he'd known from the moment he'd set his eyes on Kairi that she would prove to become a big problem.

And look where his ignorance had brought him now…

He sighed, running a hand through his spiky mane.

Sure, the raven-haired young man would lie if he said that he had never felt lust towards any other female before…but _Kairi_? That just didn't feel right for some reason. He wasn't sure why, but it felt as if he had to protect her from himself. Now _that _made no sense at all.

Then again, had his darker thoughts ever made sense before?

"Vanitas!"

"Huh?"

He blinked, realizing just then that he'd been spacing off.

"What?" he grumbled irritably, while trying to look her in the eyes, instead of gaping at her cleavage.

He had absolutely no idea how or when he had reached her table at the library, but he sat down next to her, deciding to leave that question for another time. The last thing he needed was for Kairi to think that he was having amnesia.

Kairi's brows furrowed. "Nothing. It's just...never mind."

She shook her head and returned her attention to the book she was reading. Her long, silky smooth hair covered most of her face like a thick curtain, so that he couldn't see the facial expression she made.

Vanitas couldn't help but grin; it seemed that he wasn't the only one who was struggling with something. Could it be...?

Nah, Kairi was far too pure for that.


	5. Happiness

**A/N: I'm actually kinda happy with how this turned out, so I hope you guys are too. ;D**

**Thanks: It's My Lucky Charm, MaroonAngel of Darkness, and krikanalo. :)**

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**5. Happiness**

"Oh no?"

Vanitas had a weird habit of bringing his face close to the people he wanted to convince of something (or control). By now, Kairi was used to his antics. Despite all that, however, Kairi's breath hitched when she noticed how close Vanitas was to her, and naturally, this made the raven-haired teen smirk. She realized her stupid mistake far too late.

"Don't tell me you're actually scared of me," he said teasingly.

"Don't be stupid," was the immediate response (along with the coloring of her cheeks).

"Don't worry, I don't bite...hard. Unless you're into that kind of thing. Then I could make an exception if you want?" he said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Kairi hit his arm, hoping that he hadn't noticed that blush on her cheeks. But even she knew that Vanitas had eyes like a hawk. He saw _everything_, even if it wasn't happening right in front of him. He had probably inherited that gift from his notorious grandfather, just like how he had inherited Xehanort's eyes.

Why did he always do that, playing with her feelings like he didn't care? Didn't he know what he was doing to her? Probably not, she decided. Nobody could be _that_ heartless after all.

Needless to say, her heart fluttered when Vanitas suddenly brought his face closer to hers. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he had captured her lips with his own and Kairi forgot about everything else. When they broke away again, Kairi felt a new kind of happiness. One that she had never felt before.

"I can tell that you liked that," Vanitas noted smugly and the redhead knew that she had fed his ego with that dreamy sigh.

Kairi ignored what he had said and decided to lie back into the dry grass to watch the clouds go by, while patiently waiting for her heartbeat to slow down. The raven-haired teen mimicked her without saying anything else. Once again, the silence returned. This time, however, there was no tension that accompanied the utter quietness. She felt butterflies swarming in her stomach, now more than ever, and she couldn't help but wonder what Vanitas was thinking. Throwing him a sidelong glance, the red-haired beauty saw to her great surprise that a content smile had made its place on his handsome face. No smirk, just a tiny smile that lit up his features. Enough to set her on fire again.

Almost as though he could feel her eyes resting on him, he suddenly turned his head, startling her when he said, "What?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, opting to look up at the sky again.

Some things would just never change.

"I thought you'd push me away," he admitted after a while. "I mean...you look like someone who would punch me for pulling a stunt like that."

Kairi started to laugh. "Aww, poor Vani. You must've felt so nervous then."

This earned her a raise of his eyebrows. "Since when do you call me 'Vani'?"

"Since when do you kiss me out of the blue?" she shot back.

"...Smartass," he muttered, but the faint upturn of his lips betrayed how he really felt.


	6. Despair

**A/N: ****Thanks: krikanalo, MaroonAngel of Darkness, and It's My Lucky Charm. :)**

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**6. Despair**

The silence in the room was thick like a curtain and almost palpable at this point. The only sound that broke the silence was the loud ticking of the clock. And he wanted to smash that clock into tiny pieces almost as badly as the owner of it. Both were a nuisance.

Vanitas let out a deep sigh (that resembled a frustrated growl) and ran his hand through his spiky mane for the umpteenth time that hour. It was just his luck to date the mayor's daughter. And for the mayor to be a total ass. But even then, how could that man possibly ask such a thing from him? Did he have no shame? How was he supposed to choose between his girlfriend, or school and social life? And he thought that _he_ was cruel and totally messed up, but this guy... Vanitas could probably learn a lot from him. And _that_ was actually saying something.

_Funny. I don't remember Kairi ever telling me that her dad has no conscience...or that he's the biggest bastard on this planet._

Granted, Vanitas was not one of those goody-two-shoes, either; he got into bad fights fairly quickly and he wasn't afraid to badmouth someone who was older than him. Oh, and he never spoke with two words (then again, did anyone in his right mind even do that anymore?) After all, you had to earn respect first before actually getting it. But what the man was telling him now wasn't any better, either.

_Maybe he's right. Maybe I do have a bad influence on people. He just hasn't found out yet that he isn't safe from me either_, he thought sarcastically. How Kairi was able to hold out with someone like _that_ as a parent was a mystery to him. _Well, I'm pretty sure they brainwashed her at this point. There is no other explanation._

"Well, it's your own choice, boy. Your future with a college degree from one of the best schools in the country, or barely a week of fun with a girl whose name you won't even remember in a week, and wasting your whole life."

The raven-haired young man narrowed his golden eyes into thin slits. "I think that should be your daughter's decision. Not mine, and certainly not yours."

With that, he promptly turned around and left the flabbergasted mayor alone in his far too clean office before he could call Vanitas back.

On the way out, he happened to bump into Kairi, whom he nearly knocked over in his hurry to leave the house. "Whoa, Vani! What are you doing here? Did my dad want to see you?"

"Go ask your dad," he growled, before turning his back to her and walking away with quick strides.

Quite honestly, he was sick of everyone he knew for now. And he didn't want to risk losing Kairi because of his temper. Because that would mean that that man had won this round. Vanitas simply didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

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**A/N: ****How often have we not seen that a rich daddy offers le daughter's boyfriend some money so that he would leave her alone? Poor Vani...**


	7. Rage

**A/N: Short chapter is short, but I'll edit it and add more content to it tomorrow...if I don't forget. XD**

**Thanks: krikanalo, MaroonAngel of Darkness, It's My Lucky Charm, and SorNami. :)**

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**7. Rage**

The deafening silence lasted for only a moment. Then, it got replaced by a mighty hurricane that made the ground shudder...

"You _what_!? For fuck's sake, Kairi!"

At this point, he'd even started shaking from pure anger, something that wasn't a good sign at all. Vanitas looked as though he was ready to explode, that was how furious he really was. How could he not, when she had betrayed him like this? _Kairi_ of all people.

Kairi winced when his voice became an octave higher, knowing that her boyfriend was far from pleased. "Vanitas, _please_-"

She hated it when he raised his voice like that. She knew that Vanitas would never hit her, but sometimes, when he got that dangerous glint in his bright, orange eyes, she just wasn't too sure...

"No!" he spat, interrupting her harshly, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. She had hurt him with her move, so why should he consider her feelings? She had to feel at least as much pain as he did right now. "Why didn't you just refuse?"

"You don't know what he's like," she muttered, looking at the ground in utter defeat.

As if her father would give her a chance to voice her thoughts on the matter. No, she'd had no choice but to accept the offer.

"So what, someone was pointing his gun at your head? Is that it?"

"No, but-"

"Just let me ask you something. Do you even _want_ us to work out anymore?"

"_Excuse _me?" she said disbelievingly, as her thin eyebrows shot up, almost in a way as though she was wondering if she had heard it right.

Apparently, she had. "Oh, you heard me," he replied, dangerously calmly.

Kairi put her hands on her hips and gave her raging boyfriend a defiant look that would have scared any other guy off. Vanitas, however, wasn't intimidated in the least.

"What is that even supposed to mean?" she demanded, holding his gaze as if that would make him talk.

"Please, Kairi. I think you already made your choice by agreeing to live with your grandmother from now on."

"She's sick! And old! And it will be closer to my school and someone has to take care of her now that she can't always do it herself," she yelled, her voice matching his in volume now.

"Oh, and the fact that I need you in my life too doesn't matter? You know that that's not the reason your dad sends you there! He wants to seperate us and if you go, that means that he wins."

"Don't be stupid, my father would never do that," Kairi said quickly, but deep in her heart, she knew that Vanitas had a point.

The mayor always complained about her choice of boyfriend after all. He knew how much his daughter cared about her grandma; she was the only link left to her real family. Of course she would do anything to keep her grandmother healthy.

"Yes, you keep telling that to yourself. As long as it makes you sleep at night, right? Meanwhile, I've heard enough. I'm outta here."

With that, Vanitas got up from where he was sitting on the comfortable sofa, and walked out of the room, ignoring Kairi's pleas. The redhead sighed. That guy was impossible.

...But she still loved him, a lot.


	8. Lost

**A/N: So far the "I'll update every day from now on." I knew I couldn't even trust myself. XD I'm sorry for letting you guys wait, though; I went on a much needed vacation. :P But I'm back now, and I expanded the previous chapter for those who are curious. And I want to finish this before school starts for me (which will be in less than six days). No promises, though, 'cause you all know me. XD**

**Thanks: MaroonAngel of Darkness, Witch of Tragedies, It's My Lucky Charm, The Layman, AquaticSilver, and Kairikh3. :)**

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**8. Lost**

"Can't believe I'm doing this," Vanitas muttered irritably, before remembering that he was holding a bunch of wild flowers in his hand that was clenched into a fist.

As much as Kairi liked flowers, he doubted that she'd appreciate getting ruined ones. If anything, she would think that this was his way of saying that their relationship was doomed and she was rubbish.

Why, oh _why _in Ansem's name did he have to be such an incredible softie? If he hadn't started feeling guilty for exploding at Kairi, then he never would have decided to surprise her with a short visit, meaning that he would not get lost here in the middle of God knew where. And he sure as hell wasn't going to ask for directions. He'd rather die out of starvation, with hawks pecking his eyes out to eat them (as if that scenario was actually possible in such a clean, civilized world, full of light) than ask for help.

Just because he had never been in this part of Radiant Garden, didn't mean that he wouldn't be able to find his way. He sighed.

When he rounded the corner, deep in thought about a certain red-haired woman, he was nearly knocked unconscious due to something almost falling on his head. The earthen pot with a plant broke into tiny pieces when it hit the pavement. This effectively interrupted his train of thoughts.

Ultimately annoyed, he looked up to yell at the idiot that was so clumsy. "Hey! What the– Kairi?"

The redhead blinked. "Vani?"

"What are you doing there?" the both of them asked simultaneously, before stopping at the same time.

"Wait, I'll come to you," Kairi quickly said, before turning around and rushing downstairs to meet her boyfriend.

"That's very appreciated, because I wasn't looking forward to getting inside through your window," he muttered sarcastically, but he was unable to hide the slight smile that was adorning his handsome face.

By the time she had come outside, however, he had re-mastered his famous poker face, staring at her with what seemed to be mild disinterest.

As soon as Kairi had reached him, Vanitas practically shoved the flowers in her hands, as though their presence disgusted him. "Here. I don't need those."

Any other time, she would have taken her time to tease him about how this was proof that he cared about her more than he let on, but all she said now was, "Thanks."

It was silent between them for a good moment, until Kairi finally spoke. "Would you…like to come inside? My grandma would like to meet you."

"Oh."

Vanitas was genuinely surprised, but as it happened, he didn't like old people (his own grandfather was a creep, he had no problem admitting that. The way he would show up behind him unannounced…). Then again, there wasn't hardly any age group that Vanitas did like. Kairi was the only person that he tolerated being around…and when he was in a good mood, his brother Sora wasn't that bad either.

Still, something told him that this Grandma person had to have _something_ special about her if Kairi talked about her like she was all that mattered.

So with that thought in mind, he replied with a simple, "'Kay" and followed her out to the nice house with the pretty curtains and blue front door.

The fact that Kairi had even bothered to talk about him, and most likely say something positive too, it made him feel strange… He wasn't sure if he liked it, but anything was better than having to deal with the mayor.


	9. Laughter

**A/N: Oh guys, I wish the word limit would give me enough freedom to add those things that you want to see in here. But everything that doesn't make it in this collection, will go straight to "Amnesia Completa" (which is the 'sequel' to this story).**

**Thanks: MaroonAngel of Darkness, and The Layman. :)**

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**9. Laughter**

Kairi frowned when she realized something peculiar: Vanitas hadn't visited her in over three weeks now. And that could never be a good thing. As of lately, she only saw him at school, but everyone knew that that was no place to catch up on everything, with everyone watching them like hawks, waiting for that moment in which one of the two would mess up majorly (being the mayor's daughter brought those kind of things upon your path, unfortunately). Even the school's roof, which was usually deserted, was no private place for them anymore (they had gone there quite often when they'd still been friends).

Sometimes, she was afraid that this was one of those bad signs. Maybe Vanitas had finally had enough of her and now he was trying to distance himself.

That thought almost made her want to scream, so she calmed herself down by telling herself that she was overreacting.

Oh, how she missed the happier times that seemed so far away now...

Automatically, her mind wandered off to one particular memory that she held close to her heart.

_It was warm today. Unfortunately, this would be one of the last summer days that this season had to offer. So naturally, every free soul in Radiant Garden had decided to spend the rest of the day outside with their loved ones._

_Kairi sighed happily. This exact spot, under the big apple tree in the park, in Vanitas' lap, was her favorite spot in the world. With her new boyfriend's weight lightly pressing against her back, almost in a teasing way (which she was sure he was trying to be), she could feel how the butterflies in her stomach came back to life once again. The older teen was leaning against the tree trunk and he had draped an arm around her, holding her form close to his, while he steadied himself with his free hand._

_At the moment, they were both quiet, just enjoying each other's company it seemed, but that didn't matter; the silence that she shared with Vanitas had always been a pleasant one. And this way, she had the chance to daydream a lot more about him, with his handsome face, sense of humor and deep voice..._

_"Hey, are you okay? Your face is all red," Vanitas whispered in her ear teasingly._

_She could practically hear him smirk, which only gave her goosebumps. For some reason, anything that this young man did gave her goosebumps these days and something told her that he knew_ exactly_ what he was doing to her. At least he was only willing to do it with her, and with no one else._

_"Yeah, well, maybe if you stopped tickling me every few seconds, I would be able to sit still," Kairi said with a huff._

_Once again, laughter filled the quiet air and a second round of the tickle fight started as Kairi quickly slid off his lap and started looking for cover._

_"I haven't met anyone as ticklish as you before," Vanitas noted, before starting his attack._

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_Ugh, I'm acting as though he's going to die, or as if it's over between us_, Kairi thought with a shake of her head.

Well, if Vanitas wasn't coming to her, she might as well be the one who visits him. She was done waiting.

With that thought in mind, the pretty redhead got up from her bed, hid her diary somewhere safe, and decided to go look for her beloved boyfriend. Grandma was currently seeing a good friend of hers, anyway. She doubted that she would need her right now.


	10. Confused

**A/N: ****Thanks: Kairikh3, MaroonAngel of Darkness, and The Layman. :)**

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**10. Confused**

Kairi blinked, a little dazed, standing outside Vanitas' home…all alone for the first time ever. It was over between them, apparently. Just like that, which she had definitely not seen coming. Even before she'd had the chance to leave her Grandma's house to pay him a visit, he had called her and asked her to meet at his place.

She still couldn't quite believe it, but she was sure that the shock would set in later, and she would be crying her eyes out…

_I'm even starting to sound like him now_, she thought, and for the first time, she wasn't proud of that.

He hadn't cheated on her, but it still felt like Vanitas had betrayed her in every way possible. He had explained to her as patiently as he could muster that it was also her own fault; Kairi never even tried to make their relationship work and he was tired of that. Love wasn't a one-way street. Not only that, but her father was still bothering him and that added to the stress that he had to experience due to personal issues…whatever those were.

_"He'll always find an excuse to tell me off, even if I suddenly become the most amazing guy in the world. If I had been poor, he would've said that I would never give you a good future. If I hadn't been attending uni, he would've said that I was too dumb to date his daughter. I'll never be good enough for you and I'm sick of his constant nagging. Like I don't have anything better to do than try to avoid his wrath."_

Kairi's first mistake had always been to defend his adoptive father, which added to the list of things Vanitas hated.

And then, to add insult to injury, Xion had come along out of nowhere. The new girl to whom many guys seemed to be attracted. Sweet, beautiful, innocent Xion, who was making everything so easy to him. Besides, if you squinted your eyes slightly, you could say that she looked like Kairi, but with dark hair. Only Xion was more mature for her age. It was only a matter of time until those two would become an item. Now that the redhead thought about it, it was so damn obvious that it hurt.

So needless to say, Kairi still saw this as cheating. How could she not, when Vanitas was taking the easy way? Not wanting to fight for their relationship, but blaming her and her father for everything that went wrong, the coward. And in the mean time, he was happy to hang out with the new girl in town, showing her around as though it was his personal mission.

She was both confused and disappointed, because Vanitas was one of the last people that she had expected to chicken out on something. Where was the badass in him, that had stolen her heart?

Vanitas was nineteen now, two years her senior. If she could come up with the conclusion that walking away from your problems instead of facing them would bring you nowhere, then how did he think that this trait would help him in the future? He was a grown up man who should be more serious.

_Maybe I've been wrong about him from the very beginning… Maybe this was what Dad meant when he said that he had no honor…_

Kairi sighed wearily. Slowly but surely, she was starting to realize what had happened; her worst nightmare had become reality...

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**A/N: Well guys, only one chapter to go! I wish it could be longer, especially for those who don't want to read a 100-chapter story just for this pairing, but the challenge was only 11 chapters long lol.**_  
_


	11. Awkward

**A/N: Yay, the last chapter! :O I could choose what this last chapter would have as prompt, and this seemed fitting. :P Enjoy. ;D**

**Thanks: The Layman, MaroonAngel of Darkness, AquaticSilver, and Kairikh3. :)**

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**11. Uncomfortable**

You know what the worst thing about breaking up is? It's dealing with the unbearable pain whenever you walk into your ex. Because even if Kairi lived with her Grandma's, while Vanitas wasn't at school, there were enough random encounters to make everything seem so much more awkward and painful. Especially since one of them had already moved on and found another person to be with.

So obviously, she had been right about Xion; about three months after Kairi and Vanitas had broken up, the latter started dating the new girl in town.

Maybe it was the whole 'moving on' thing that was bothering Kairi the most. Because how could Vanitas do all that to her, while she was still in agony? How could he have forgotten about all the great memories that they had shared together?

To make matters worse, her grandmother passed away a year later, when she was still struggling to not hate(/love) Vanitas.

During all this, Sora, Vanitas' younger brother, offered her his shoulder to cry on. That happy-go-lucky brunet young man was the one she'd turn to when everything became too much. She was so grateful that she'd gotten at least closer to someone when she had lost one of the most important people in her life…

Still, that didn't stop her from moving out of Radiant Garden and finding a place to live on her own. Well, not exactly on her own, for she had two other housemates, but still, when she looked out of her window now, she didn't look out on the Market Place.

It would be years later before he ran into someone she used to know so well…

_I can't believe it, is that...? she thought, perplexed._

"Hello, Vanitas."

It slipped out before she'd been able to stop herself.

"Kairi," the man nodded.

It may have been impossible to see for others, but Kairi knew that he was feeling a little uncomfortable. For some strange reason, that gave her enough strength to hold her head high and ask him how he was doing.

"Same old, same old," he replied, which was rather out of character for him.

Perhaps time had changed him more than she had thought. And maybe it had done the same thing to her, without her knowing it.

"Same here. Well, I've got to go, I have a job interview and I don't want to be late."

There was something in his eyes that made her feel strange, but within a matter of a second, it was gone.

"Alright. Good luck," was all he said.

"Thank you."

_Well, that honestly couldn't have gone more awkward_, she thought to herself. _Unless Xion had still been there, of course._

'Cause that would have meant that he found Xion a far better person to share his life with than her.

Kairi looked at her watch and saw that she would still be ten minutes too early if she kept going at this pace. Perfect; she would probably need that time to get Vanitas out of her head. Let's face it; time had been so good to him; he was one of the most handsome men she had ever set her eyes on.

The redhead wondered briefly what he thought of her, but decided that the past offered nothing more than trouble. With that thought in mind, she made her way to the business area of the city.

Little did she know that today, her life would change completely, making her dislike for Vanitas grow beyond belief…

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**A/N: I know, not my strongest chapter in this collection. Still, thanks a ton for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting everyone! Even though I haven't been able to reply to every review, know that I read them all and it warmed my heart. Well, now that I've finished this, I can concentrate more on the 'main story.' :P For those who are interested, I will upload a one-shot in which Vanitas gets to meet Kairi's Grandma, somewhere in September (not sure when exactly, what with school starting and all). :P**

**REVIEW SHOUT-OUT: MaroonAngel of Darkness, It's My Lucky Charm, Krikanalo, Raberba girl, Cafe. nina, Witch of Tragedies, AquaticSilver, Yue Asuka, The Layman, and last, but certainly not least, Kairikh3.**


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